Wu Long was becoming trapped by the palace troops, whose encirclement around him grew tighter by the second. There was no room left for him to escape the palace guards surrounding him.
“Where do you think you’re going now, Wu Long? You’ve been warned several times not to see the Princess again, but you keep refusing to listen!” the palace troops commander scolded.
“I can’t refuse the Princess’s advances, Uncle!” Wu Long shot back, his tone somewhat insolent. “The Princess is far too beautiful to deny her what she wants! Besides, she was the one who wanted it, not me!”
“Don’t twist the facts! You were the one who forced the Princess to do it!” the palace troops commander shouted furiously.
“Whatever you say, Uncle!” Wu Long replied. “No one would believe me if I said the Princess was the one who asked for all this! Of course I couldn’t refuse!”
“Why couldn’t you refuse?” the palace troops commander asked.
“I already told you—the Princess is too beautiful, and her body is far too gorgeous to pass up!” Wu Long replied carelessly.
Whoosh!
Wu Long moved nimbly, easily gliding through the gaps between the legs of the palace troops blocking his way.
Wu Long’s movement was like a white shadow shooting swiftly through the open gaps between the palace troops’ legs. They did not even realize it, but the feat clearly showed the difference between Wu Long’s ability level and that of his pursuers.
“You insolent brat! Surrender, Wu Long!” the palace troops commander shouted, humiliated that he had been unable to stop Wu Long or restrain his running speed.
“I won’t, Uncle! I’m innocent, so I’m not going to surrender!” Wu Long called back.
“Your punishment will be even more severe if you keep running, Wu Long! His Majesty is furious with you! I’m afraid His Majesty may sentence you to death!” the commander shouted again.
“The death penalty?” Wu Long asked. “There’s no death penalty for something like this!”
“The Emperor can change the laws of this nation, Wu Long! Surrender... I’ll help defend you before the Emperor!” said the palace troops commander, still trying to persuade the young man.
But Wu Long, firm in his conviction that he was innocent, ignored the palace troops commander’s pleas.
“I know you’ll defend me, Uncle, but I’m worried the Emperor won’t listen to you! I’m just going to leave this Heavenly Nirvana palace!” Wu Long shouted. “You won’t have to see me at the palace anymore... just let me go, Uncle!”
The palace troops commander regretted that Wu Long had chosen to flee rather than take responsibility for his actions before the Emperor.
“The Emperor will definitely listen to me, but you have to restrain yourself so you don’t anger him again!” the commander replied.
“How could the Emperor possibly forgive me? I abused the trust he placed in me when he made me the Princess’s guard!” Wu Long shot back. His eyes widened in disbelief, his brow slightly furrowed.
“If you know it was wrong, why did you do it?” the palace troops commander asked, still trying to convince Wu Long to surrender.
“I couldn’t control myself, Uncle! Who wouldn’t want to be with the princess whose beauty is famous throughout the Heavenly Nirvana Empire?” Wu Long replied casually, without the slightest sense that he had done anything seriously wrong.
The palace troops commander looked exhausted, yet full of hope that Wu Long would surrender before it was too late. “I know, Wu Long! But you have to remember that you’re talking about the Emperor’s daughter! Not a single person will believe your story that the Princess forced you to do it, even if that is what actually happened!”
“So what am I supposed to do, Uncle? I could turn into a White Dragon and leave this place, but I’m not doing that because I don’t want to be accused of a crime over something I don’t believe was wrong!”
Wu Long’s firm resolve and stubborn nature were beginning to overwhelm the palace troops commander as he struggled to persuade him.
“You’re still in the wrong, Wu Long! Having an illicit relationship with the Princess is a disgraceful act the Emperor will never forgive, no matter what excuse you give! You’d better surrender now and admit your mistake. Perhaps the Emperor will be merciful and spare you!” urged the palace troops commander.
The palace troops commander’s words passed over Wu Long’s ears like a gust of wind. Nothing could persuade the young man.
“I’m innocent, so I won’t admit it, not even before the Emperor! Let me go, Uncle! Please...!”
The palace troops commander still refused Wu Long’s plea. He knew the Emperor would never simply release Wu Long after he had committed a forbidden act with the Princess. If Wu Long were not severely punished, many other young men would begin to look down on the Emperor’s daughter. The Emperor would make Wu Long an example to anyone who dared insult his daughter, ensuring this incident would never happen again—even though the Emperor’s daughter was also partly at fault.
“You can’t run from reality, Wu Long! You have to take responsibility for everything you do if you want to live freely! If you run now, you’ll become a fugitive wanted by the palace! You know how much the Emperor loves the Princess... He’ll chase you to the ends of the earth, so you’d better settle this matter!” the palace troops commander replied.
Whew!
Wu Long thought for a moment while remaining alert to the palace troops. There was no point in running anymore. He also wanted to know what this Emperor of Heavenly Nirvana truly wanted.
“All right! I’ll meet with the Emperor, considering how much you’ve helped me, Uncle!”